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[quote="nrl.com]Penrith and Saints face last spot
23 March 2005
Penrith and St George Illawarra started the pre-season among the premiership favourites but - come Monday - one of the two will be on its own at the bottom of the NRL table.
That's right - last spot.
Only weeks ago it was unthinkable.
Now it's a reality.
St George Illawarra captain Trent Barrett has already acknowledged the spectre of running last is hanging over his side.
Penrith coach John Lang is less concerned.
He can afford to be.
The Panthers mentor has a premiership under his belt and is comfortably ensconced at the foot of the mountain.
"It's pretty irrelevant at this stage of the year," Lang said.
"Somebody has to be running last after the first round. It's where you're running at the end of the 26 rounds that's going to count."
Dragons coach Nathan Brown can't afford such ambivalence.
Brown's position has been under intense scrutiny from the day the season kicked off and another loss would leave the joint venture club winless three rounds into the competition.
Lang can empathise with his St George Illawarra counterpart.
When he first joined Penrith, the Panthers opened the season with eight straight losses and finished nearer the bottom of the ladder than the top.
A year later they won the premiership.
"Every coach goes through that at some stage," Lang said.
"Browny is in the early stages of his career so there's more pressure on when you don't have the runs on the board.
"If Browny is going to coach in the NRL for 10 or 20 years it won't be the last time he goes through it.
"It's just part of the deal."
That's likely to be cold comfort for Brown, whose side is still battling an horrific injury and suspension toll.
Prop Jason Ryles returns for Saturday's game but the outgoings far out-number the incomings, with three players - Michael Ennis, Albert Torrens and Ashton Sims - suspended.
"I'm sure I can battle through," Brown told Channel Nine tonight.
"We can win a couple of games and then some other poor coach can give it a try."
Brown may shake the spotlight this year but Lang has warned the former Dragons captain to expect the pressure to return.
"I don't think you're ever immune to it," Lang said.
"It never makes you feel any better when you're going through it. It's just a reality of coaching that you're going to put up with that when your side is playing poorly or going through a bad trot.
"In Browny's situation, if you coach in the NRL for 10 to 20 years, he will go through this 10 to 20 times.
"I always say you have to be a masochist with a sense of humour. It's tough keeping the sense of humour."[/quote]
23 March 2005
Penrith and St George Illawarra started the pre-season among the premiership favourites but - come Monday - one of the two will be on its own at the bottom of the NRL table.
That's right - last spot.
Only weeks ago it was unthinkable.
Now it's a reality.
St George Illawarra captain Trent Barrett has already acknowledged the spectre of running last is hanging over his side.
Penrith coach John Lang is less concerned.
He can afford to be.
The Panthers mentor has a premiership under his belt and is comfortably ensconced at the foot of the mountain.
"It's pretty irrelevant at this stage of the year," Lang said.
"Somebody has to be running last after the first round. It's where you're running at the end of the 26 rounds that's going to count."
Dragons coach Nathan Brown can't afford such ambivalence.
Brown's position has been under intense scrutiny from the day the season kicked off and another loss would leave the joint venture club winless three rounds into the competition.
Lang can empathise with his St George Illawarra counterpart.
When he first joined Penrith, the Panthers opened the season with eight straight losses and finished nearer the bottom of the ladder than the top.
A year later they won the premiership.
"Every coach goes through that at some stage," Lang said.
"Browny is in the early stages of his career so there's more pressure on when you don't have the runs on the board.
"If Browny is going to coach in the NRL for 10 or 20 years it won't be the last time he goes through it.
"It's just part of the deal."
That's likely to be cold comfort for Brown, whose side is still battling an horrific injury and suspension toll.
Prop Jason Ryles returns for Saturday's game but the outgoings far out-number the incomings, with three players - Michael Ennis, Albert Torrens and Ashton Sims - suspended.
"I'm sure I can battle through," Brown told Channel Nine tonight.
"We can win a couple of games and then some other poor coach can give it a try."
Brown may shake the spotlight this year but Lang has warned the former Dragons captain to expect the pressure to return.
"I don't think you're ever immune to it," Lang said.
"It never makes you feel any better when you're going through it. It's just a reality of coaching that you're going to put up with that when your side is playing poorly or going through a bad trot.
"In Browny's situation, if you coach in the NRL for 10 to 20 years, he will go through this 10 to 20 times.
"I always say you have to be a masochist with a sense of humour. It's tough keeping the sense of humour."[/quote]
